5 Recommended Foods for a Perfect Autumn in Japan

Do you know what types of food are in season this time of year in Japan? Having seasonal food is very beneficial for your health because they contain lots of nutrients, and the taste of food in season is certainly best!

There are various food that Japanese people go for when fall is coming, and this article will introduce to you 5 best ones that you should not miss!

1. Chestnuts

It is a very great source of starch, and all Japanese go ‘nuts’ for it in the fall.

The simplest way of eating chestnuts is just getting them boiled. Dunk the chestnuts in boiling water with a pinch of salt, and come back after 40-50 minutes with a mindblowing tasty snack.
It is also great to have these chestnuts with rice, which is a common and traditional dish in Japan. The ingredients you need to prepare chestnuts rice are: rice, chestnuts, salt, and a little alcohol. The recipe for this dish is also very easy.

After peeling off the skin of chestnuts, mix raw rice and the nuts together

Put the mixture in the rice cooker and turn it on

That’s it, super easy isn’t it! The chestnuts will add more nutrients and make your every day meal in Japan more exciting!

2. Matsutake-Mushroom

Matsutake mushrooms are known as one of the most expensive Japanese mushrooms as it usually costs about 10,000 yen for 1 single made-in-Japan piece! However, other affordable types can also be found at supermarkets in Japan that were grown in China or other countries. The one made overseas is very cheap because the good flavor is partly lost during shipment to Japan.

The most important feature of matsutake that defines its value is the aromatic flavor, so the value is decreased as flavor goes down during transportation. Compared to the one made in Japan, the foreign one is sold for only from 500 to 1,000 yen for 1 piece. This means the price difference can be up to about 10 times!

So why is it such a costly ingredient? Although it is just a vegetable, the matsutake mushroom’s umami flavor is almost impossible to be artificially made. Nevertheless, the remaking process of matsutake flavor recently succeeded in Korea in 2017. Because of its value, it is an ingredient only used on special days. It is in season from September to October!

3. Apple

Not only is it a common fruit that is eaten daily all over the world, it is also said to have been consumed by humans for about 4,000 years. A fossil were found in Switzerland, proving that this fruit has been keeping the doctors away from us over many centuries!

In Japan, it is one of the best fruits in autumn. Japanese are fond of eating apple in a lot of ways, such as sweets, confections, and side dishes. As sweets, apple pie is the most popular to the people in Japan. So in autumn, check out your local bakery to enjoy a yummy piece of apple pie!

4. Eggplant

Eggplants are said to be originated from India, and was brought to Japan from China in the 8th century. It has been eaten from then by people all over Japan, and it is one of the best vegetables in the fall. Although it is eaten in so many ways: boiled, baked, fried, or the most Japanese traditional way – as pickles.

Pickled vegetables are traditional Japanese food, and eggplant is one of the types that are commonly used. It is a very nice side dish suited to have alongside of rice, and it has come in handy for Japanese people as a non-perishable food. Eggplants are also great as gifts for your family and friends when visiting because it can stay fresh for a long time.

5. Sesame seeds

Although sesame seeds are eaten all year round in Japan, its best season is autumn. It is used to make oil as well. Sesame seeds contain a lot of nutrients and are used in many ways such as side dishes or making sweets.

People in Japan can buy sesame seeds at a very low price, and they are sold in all supermarkets. Although there are 3 colors, white, black, and gold, the content of nutrients in each type is almost the same. When Japanese people decide which color of the sesame to buy, they consider the appearance of the dish they want to cook.

There are many foods which are in season in autumn, and as they contain a lot of nutrients, they can both satisfy your taste buds and benefit your health!.
Autumn is said to be the season of strong appetites, people in Japan think much of their autumn foods! Why don’t you try these 5, and see which you like the best in Japan?

I love to have an international activity because I can think myself with the view of all over the world. To know the world is to know myself.
I would like to travel all around the world to figure out how to live.

When I had been abroad, all the experiences there were so amazing and changed my life.
Through the articles I write here, I hope to share information for the people who love Japan or visit Japan for the first time.
I hope the experiences you meet in Japan will be amazing and have a good influence on your life!